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I look forward to what impact/changes we can see in next summers recruits...
Paul Mitchell finally leaves Spurs as Levy prepares to show more ambition in transfer market
By Greg Stobart
23rd Feb 2017
Tottenham will adopt a more ambitious strategy of trying to sign the best young talents in European football following a comprehensive shake-up of the club’s recruitment staff.
Squawka understands that Paul Mitchell has now left his job as head of recruitment having served almost six months of his 18-month notice period after tendering his resignation in August.
Following a rather confusing approach to recent transfer windows, there is now a feeling at Spurs that their transfer strategy will fit more effectively with the club’s overall philosophy of building a side capable of winning trophies through top quality coaching, faith in young players and intelligent recruitment.
Mauricio Pochettino, the Tottenham manager, has often spoken of the club’s different approach in comparison with wealthier Premier League rivals, with the north London club’s annual revenues comfortably the lowest of the current top six.
Mbappe a target as Levy eyes bigger signings
While Spurs must navigate a careful financial path as they look to finance their new £750 million stadium, there is a belief that they need to be more ambitious in their recruitment strategy. The net is now being cast around Europe to scout and analyse the best young talents ahead of potential summer transfers.
Despite lacking the financial firepower of some of their rivals, Tottenham feel they are a hugely attractive proposition to outstanding young players and the club are prepared to show more ambition this summer to compete for the likes of Monaco forward Kylian Mbappe.
Kylian Mbappe has scored seven Ligue 1 goals for Monaco this season.
Mbappe’s rapid rise to prominence may mean he is soon out of Tottenham’s price range, but there is now a conscious effort for the club to set their sights as high as possible to provide Pochettino with the final tools to allow Spurs to achieve their ultimate aim of winning the Premier League title.
How has Spurs’ scouting department changed?
Mitchell arrived from Southampton as a “transfer guru” in 2014 but quit last summer having becoming frustrated with working under Levy. For Tottenham’s part, few tears were shed over the 35-year-old’s exit.
Several other key members of the club’s recruitment staff have also left recently, including the departure of chief scout Ian Broomfield in December and head of player identification Rob Mackenzie last summer.
The overhaul has allowed highly-rated Steve Hitchen to return to the club as chief scout having played an influential role in Spurs’ recruitment during his first spell in north London, especially in the signing of Luka Modric.
Damien Comolli, the former Liverpool director of football, has credited Hitchen for his influential in Luis Suarez’s transfer to Merseyside in 2011.
Spurs played blame game over £60m flops
The hope is that Tottenham have learned from their mistakes in recent transfer windows and can unearth potential global superstars, the policy favoured by chairman Daniel Levy that has seen the likes of Gareth Bale, Dele Alli and Modric emerge at White Hart Lane.
Something of an internal blame game has been played within the rather political corridors of the north London, particularly in relation to last summer’s transfer window, and there is acceptance that the club can ill-afford to repeat recent mistakes.
Moussa Sissoko, Vincent Janssen and Georges-Kevin N’Koudou cost a combined £60 million but Pochettino has been unimpressed by all three as Spurs have suffered at times this season due to a lack of squad depth.
What’s Pochettino’s role?
Spurs are still considering the potential appointment of a technical director having never replaced Franco Baldini when the Italian left in 2015. Negotiations over deals will continue to be conducted by Levy or Rebecca Caplehorn, the director of football operations.
Pochettino has the final say on all transfers and is said to approve of the changes and be impressed by Hitchen from their initial conversations.
Tottenham have the joint best defensive record in the Premier League this season having conceded just 18 goals.
The Argentine has made it clear that Tottenham need to target players with Champions League quality – or at least the potential – rather than take gambles on players below that level.
The Argentine’s job title changed from ‘head coach’ to ‘manager’ when he signed a five-year deal in May to reflect his greater influence in other aspects of the running of the club beyond coaching the first-team.
Pochettino clearly has to rely on the club’s recruitment staff for the majority of groundwork in identifying players while he works on the training ground, and the message ahead of the summer is that Spurs will not compromise on quality.
In January, Pochettino said: “If we spend £25-30 million, we need to be sure that this type of player represents Bale or Cristiano for Real Madrid, or Messi or Neymar for Barcelona. We need to speak about a player that is our best player and need to help us to achieve a lot of things. It’s impossible to sign a player for this amount who we need to wait to perform.”
Eight months later, Spurs scrambled to sign Sissoko on the final day of the transfer window and Pochettino reflected in November that sometimes “you sign a player and you don’t find what you expected.”
Tottenham hope the restructure of their recruitment team and the arrival of Hitchen will help them sign the most exciting players in world football, like Mbappe, and get exactly what they expect.
I look forward to what impact/changes we can see in next summers recruits...
Paul Mitchell finally leaves Spurs as Levy prepares to show more ambition in transfer market
By Greg Stobart
23rd Feb 2017
Tottenham will adopt a more ambitious strategy of trying to sign the best young talents in European football following a comprehensive shake-up of the club’s recruitment staff.
Squawka understands that Paul Mitchell has now left his job as head of recruitment having served almost six months of his 18-month notice period after tendering his resignation in August.
Following a rather confusing approach to recent transfer windows, there is now a feeling at Spurs that their transfer strategy will fit more effectively with the club’s overall philosophy of building a side capable of winning trophies through top quality coaching, faith in young players and intelligent recruitment.
Mauricio Pochettino, the Tottenham manager, has often spoken of the club’s different approach in comparison with wealthier Premier League rivals, with the north London club’s annual revenues comfortably the lowest of the current top six.
Mbappe a target as Levy eyes bigger signings
While Spurs must navigate a careful financial path as they look to finance their new £750 million stadium, there is a belief that they need to be more ambitious in their recruitment strategy. The net is now being cast around Europe to scout and analyse the best young talents ahead of potential summer transfers.
Despite lacking the financial firepower of some of their rivals, Tottenham feel they are a hugely attractive proposition to outstanding young players and the club are prepared to show more ambition this summer to compete for the likes of Monaco forward Kylian Mbappe.
Kylian Mbappe has scored seven Ligue 1 goals for Monaco this season.
Mbappe’s rapid rise to prominence may mean he is soon out of Tottenham’s price range, but there is now a conscious effort for the club to set their sights as high as possible to provide Pochettino with the final tools to allow Spurs to achieve their ultimate aim of winning the Premier League title.
How has Spurs’ scouting department changed?
Mitchell arrived from Southampton as a “transfer guru” in 2014 but quit last summer having becoming frustrated with working under Levy. For Tottenham’s part, few tears were shed over the 35-year-old’s exit.
Several other key members of the club’s recruitment staff have also left recently, including the departure of chief scout Ian Broomfield in December and head of player identification Rob Mackenzie last summer.
The overhaul has allowed highly-rated Steve Hitchen to return to the club as chief scout having played an influential role in Spurs’ recruitment during his first spell in north London, especially in the signing of Luka Modric.
Damien Comolli, the former Liverpool director of football, has credited Hitchen for his influential in Luis Suarez’s transfer to Merseyside in 2011.
Spurs played blame game over £60m flops
The hope is that Tottenham have learned from their mistakes in recent transfer windows and can unearth potential global superstars, the policy favoured by chairman Daniel Levy that has seen the likes of Gareth Bale, Dele Alli and Modric emerge at White Hart Lane.
Something of an internal blame game has been played within the rather political corridors of the north London, particularly in relation to last summer’s transfer window, and there is acceptance that the club can ill-afford to repeat recent mistakes.
Moussa Sissoko, Vincent Janssen and Georges-Kevin N’Koudou cost a combined £60 million but Pochettino has been unimpressed by all three as Spurs have suffered at times this season due to a lack of squad depth.
What’s Pochettino’s role?
Spurs are still considering the potential appointment of a technical director having never replaced Franco Baldini when the Italian left in 2015. Negotiations over deals will continue to be conducted by Levy or Rebecca Caplehorn, the director of football operations.
Pochettino has the final say on all transfers and is said to approve of the changes and be impressed by Hitchen from their initial conversations.
Tottenham have the joint best defensive record in the Premier League this season having conceded just 18 goals.
The Argentine has made it clear that Tottenham need to target players with Champions League quality – or at least the potential – rather than take gambles on players below that level.
The Argentine’s job title changed from ‘head coach’ to ‘manager’ when he signed a five-year deal in May to reflect his greater influence in other aspects of the running of the club beyond coaching the first-team.
Pochettino clearly has to rely on the club’s recruitment staff for the majority of groundwork in identifying players while he works on the training ground, and the message ahead of the summer is that Spurs will not compromise on quality.
In January, Pochettino said: “If we spend £25-30 million, we need to be sure that this type of player represents Bale or Cristiano for Real Madrid, or Messi or Neymar for Barcelona. We need to speak about a player that is our best player and need to help us to achieve a lot of things. It’s impossible to sign a player for this amount who we need to wait to perform.”
Eight months later, Spurs scrambled to sign Sissoko on the final day of the transfer window and Pochettino reflected in November that sometimes “you sign a player and you don’t find what you expected.”
Tottenham hope the restructure of their recruitment team and the arrival of Hitchen will help them sign the most exciting players in world football, like Mbappe, and get exactly what they expect.
